Pages: << 1 ... 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 ... 1276 >>
Chasing the Dollar, Or Doing Our Own Thing
by Jan Lundberg
Introduction
I was thinking about a friend who got a decent job recently. In the minds of billions of people, it would seem to solve his problems for meeting his obligations. Though entry level, it’s a desirable job where the workplace is pleasant. I began to reflect on his being a proud member of the working class, and how his path (however reluctant or exhilarating) generally follows middle class aspiration. It is extremely unlikely that someone in his position manages to join the exalted, glitzy, rich, tiny segment of the population, to enjoy the dream of the very easy life -- not that his value-system pushes him in that questionable direction.
Unfortunately, he is probably boxed in at the lower middle of the social pyramid, because another, very different path for working people and even the rich is not so visible or tempting. Viewed by others without much respect, or with disinterest, an alternative-lifestyle movement nevertheless exists. It would mean, for my friend and his little family, to go live differently than the vast majority of working people and the idle rich in Europe. It may be communal, centered around permaculture, or it may be more individualistic whereby enlightenment and simple living are still chosen over the prevailing gold/no gold limitation. With the alternative path on hold or deemed remote by my friend, his prospects for embarking on doing his own thing someday, beyond perhaps being able to start his own restaurant, are statistically slim. An infusion of cash from winning the lottery is even more slim, but widely dreamt about to fit yearnings, needs, and common materialist fantasies.
America at War, Again
by Stephen Lendman
War is America's national pastime, not baseball. It's a longstanding sick addiction.
The business of America is waging permanent wars against one nation after another.
Nonexistent enemies are created. They're attacked, ravaged, destroyed, controlled and plundered.
They're ruled by US-installed puppets. Their people are ruthlessly exploited.
Governance of, by and for everyone equitably is strictly forbidden. Freedom is a four-letter word.
Longstanding US policy represents a shocking contempt for rule of law principles, democratic values, peace and stability.
Kiev's Ongoing Dirty War on Donbass
by Stephen Lendman
Fascists don't wage wars to quit. Kiev's dirty war of aggression on Donbass didn't stop.
It slowed to give junta forces time to regroup, rearm, and ready for resumed full-scale combat.
Minsk ceasefire terms proved worthless. Kiev violated them straightaway - like 2014 peace initiatives it spurned.
Virtually everything it agreed to it breached. Multiple violations continue daily.
Phony US Support for Ending Palestine's Occupation
by Stephen Lendman
Washington unequivocally supports Israel. Both countries partner in each other's high crimes.
They oppose granting Palestinians rights mattering most. Claims otherwise ring hollow.
White House chief of staff Denis McDonough is a longtime Washington insider.
Earlier he was Obama's chief foreign policy advisor, his strategic communication National Security Council head, and his NSC chief of staff.
In 2004, he was a corporate lobbying group Center for American Progress senior fellow.
On March 23, he addressed J Street conference participants in Washington. It's a pro-Israeli front group. Executive director Jeremy Ben-Ami is a former Clinton administration deputy domestic policy adviser.
US-Created Violence and Chaos in Yemen
by Stephen Lendman
Yemen is one of many examples of what happens following lawless US intervention.
Obama waged drone war on Yemen throughout his tenure - indiscriminately killing many hundreds of defenseless victims, mostly civilians.
Like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Palestine, Yemen is a cauldron of violence and instability threatening to spin entirely out-of-control.
In January, Houthi forces ousted US-backed Ab-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's regime. They took over the presidential palace. They extended control to other parts of the country. Last year, Obama ludicrously touted Yemen as a success story.
Californians Outraged As Oil Producers & Frackers Excluded From Emergency Water Restrictions
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/03/2015 23:10 -0400
California's oil and gas industry is estimated (with official data due to be released in coming days) to use more than 2 million gallons of fresh water per day; so it is hardly surprising that, as Reuters reports, Californians are outraged after discovering that these firms are excluded from Governor Jerry Brown's mandatory water restrictions, "forcing ordinary Californians to shoulder the burden of the drought."
California should require oil producers to cut their water usage as part of the administration’s efforts to conserve water in the drought-ravaged state, environmentalists said on Wednesday.
Governor Jerry Brown ordered the first statewide mandatory water restrictions on Wednesday, directing cities and communities to cut their consumption by 25 percent. But the order does not require oil producers to cut their usage nor does it place a temporary halt on the water intensive practice of hydraulic fracturing.
California’s oil and gas industry uses more than 2 million gallons of fresh water a day to produce oil through well stimulation practices including fracking, acidizing and steam injection, according to estimates by environmentalists. The state is expected to release official numbers on the industry’s water consumption in the coming days.
“Governor Brown is forcing ordinary Californians to shoulder the burden of the drought by cutting their personal water use while giving the oil industry a continuing license to break the law and poison our water,” said Zack Malitz of environmental group Credo.
“Fracking and toxic injection wells may not be the largest uses of water in California, but they are undoubtedly some of the stupidest,” he said.
The industry has received scrutiny for how it disposes of undrinkable water produced during oil drilling. Last month the state ordered the operators of 12 wells to halt injections of the water out of fear that it could contaminate fresh drinking water supplies.
...
In an interview with the PBS Newshour on Wednesday, Brown indicated that curbing oil industry water use would not help a state so dependent on petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel.
“If we don’t take it out of our ground, we’ll take it out of someone else’s,” Brown said.
Suck it up, or well don't as the case may be, serfs.
Israel Joins Obama's War on Yemen
by Stephen Lendman
Obama terror-bombed Yemen throughout his tenure. He murdered hundreds of noncombatant men, women and children in cold blood.
He's at it again. He's waging proxy war against Houthi rebels.
He's using rogue state regional allies to do his dirty work.
Houthis ousted illegitimately US-installed puppet Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
Israel quietly joined Obama's dirty war. On March 22, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi accused Washington and Israel of using Takfiri extremists to stage terrorist attacks on Yemeni civilians.
Mosques were targeted. Scores were killed, hundreds injured. Al-Houthi urged Yemenis to unite against elements aiming to destabilize the country.
"Everyone is a target," he said. He didn't know at the time Washington intended using proxy forces to terror-bomb Yemen into submission.
Netanyahu Apocalyptic Over Treating Iran Fairly
by Stephen Lendman
He's one of many hardline lunatics infesting Israel - a rogue leader, nuclear armed and dangerous, waging permanent war on Palestine, threatening the entire region.
Iran and P5+1 countries inch toward trying to cobble together something they can call success after 18 months of nuclear talks - a framework deal leaving much unresolved ahead of trying to reach agreement by end of June.
Netanyahu is going all-out to sabotage efforts by all means possible - maybe including war if other methods fail.
He's adamant against treating Iran fairly. He invents all sorts of Big Lies.
He finds reasons to unjustly demonize the Islamic Republic. Eliminating it as a regional rival is longstanding Israeli policy to achieve its hegemonic ambitions.
Chances for Washington normalizing relations with Iran are virtually nil - even if major issues relating to its nuclear program are resolved.
Iran Nuclear Talks: Kicking the Can Down the Road
by Stephen Lendman
On March 31 deadline day, AP reported "Iran Nuke Talks to Continue in (a) New Phase."
Six days of negotiations in Lausanne left key sticking points unresolved - notably on lifting sanctions and nuclear R&D.
AP said P5+1 nations "prepared Tuesday to issue a general statement agreeing to continue negotiations in a new phase aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord by the end of June, officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday."
According to unnamed ones close to talks, a joint statement will include documents "outlin(ing) more detailed understandings, allowing the sides to claim enough progress has been made thus far to merit a new round," AP reported.
Obama's Dirty War on Yemen
by Stephen Lendman
Candidate Obama was elected promising peace. On October 28, 2007, he said:
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out of Afghanistan by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do."
"I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank."
Instead he escalated. America's war on Afghanistan continues. Permanent occupation is planned.
Obama arguably is America's most belligerent president ever. He exceeds the worst of his predecessors.
Multiple direct and proxy wars continue raging nonstop throughout his tenure - against Afghanistan, parts of Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Somalia, partnered with Israel against Palestine and now Yemen.
<< 1 ... 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 ... 1276 >>
